Garja Muschajew

Garja Muschajew made nine audio recordings for himself, which were later added to the Gordon Bok collection,   during a festive dinner at his house in Ludwigsfeld, Germany. These are tracks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in the folder "Kalmyk GB#1". The recordings numbered 7 and 8 contain jöräl (well wishes) expressed by Garja Muschajew and his guests, while the recordings numbered 10, 12, 14 and 15 contain songs in the Kalmyk language performed by Garja Muschajew and other dinner participants. These songs are: "Between two yurt camps" [Hojír hotná hooryndə́], "Chestnut horse’s gallop" [Zeerdé mörnä́ güüdɪ́l], "Train pulling wagons" [Holvád čirsɪ́n pójezd], "Badma Bukhankov" [Buhankín Badým] (scroll down to see the transcribed and translated audio files).

Emigrant and poet

Garja Muschajew was born on 8 January 1925, in Godzhur, Kalmykia. He was the seventh child borne to the family of a poor Kalmyk nomad named Muushan Muukul. From a very young age, Garja was a curious and intelligent boy. In school, he excelled in reading and learning both the Kalmyk and Russian languages. By spending time with elderly Kalmyks, he learned songs from the Epic of Jangar and often participated in amateur concerts.

During World War II, Garja’s village was under German occupation. On the day the Germans retreated, Garja was forcefully taken away by Kalmyk collaborators, despite his mother’s protests. His mother then asked her brother, a soldier in the Soviet army, to find Garja and bring him home. The uncle found Garja in a weakened state. The uncle had to sacrifice his horse to feed and nurse Garja back to health. After some time, the uncle left Garja with some food, telling him that he (the uncle) needed to return to the Red Army and that he would be back soon.

Meanwhile, the Red Army was advancing, and there were rumours that they would kill anyone who had been under German occupation. Fearing for his life, Garja joined the Kalmyk refugees and German troops moving to the west. This is how Garja Muschajew ended up in Bavaria in camps for displaced persons (DP camps).

Whilst living in DP camps in Pfaffenhofen and Ingolstadt amongst Kalmyk refugees, Garja Muschajew was very active in preserving the Kalmyk language and culture. In 1947, Sandscha Zagadinow published two issues of Teegin Ochen [Steppe spark]. A few years later, he published another magazine called Kharulchi [The scout]. Both periodicals were aimed at Kalmyk youth living in the camps. Garja actively assisted with work on the journal and published many of his own poems. In his article "Vazhnoye delo" [The Important Matter], Garja discussed the problem of the loss of the Kalmyk language amongst young Kalmyks living in Europe who preferred to speak Russian, Serbian, French or German.

In 1952, when most of the Kalmyks from DP camps immigrated to the US, the remaining Kalmyks were moved to a camp in Schleissheim and then, in 1953, to Ludwigsfeld, Munich. There, Garja lived with his wife, Evgenia, his son, Dordschi and his daughter, Purma. The Muschajews would often have guests, some of whom played the harmonica or guitar, while Garja sang Kalmyk songs.

Garja Muschajew, a talented poet and one of the leaders of Kalmyk emigrants in Europe, passed away on 6 April 1966, after a prolonged battle with tuberculosis.

Based on the article "Garya Mukulovich Mushaev (1925–1966)" by Elena Remilev and documentary "Garya Mushaev. The Return" by Irina Dolgina.